Portable storage device with a storage capacity display

ABSTRACT

A portable storage device with a storage capacity display includes at least one display and one display control circuit, wherein the display control circuit is used to read the memory storage of a built-in or external flash memory of the portable storage device and converts it into displayable information to display the storage information on the display; the present invention is a portable storage device capable of instantly displaying storage information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1) Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a type of portable storagedevice with a storage capacity display, more especially to a type ofportable storage device capable of displaying the storage capacityinformation and being used in conjunction with a flash memory datastorage device.

[0003] 2) Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Accordingly, flash memory and a variety of flash memory cardssuch as CF (Compact Flash), SM (Smart Media), Memory Stick and MMC/SD(Multimedia Card/Secure Digital) elements have been extensively used inoccasions where digital data need to be stored; for example, in theapplication of a digital camera where the numeric data of the image ascaptured by the digital camera must be recorded; and with respect to theabove mentioned flash memory elements in the case of reading or writingthe numeric data, their execution will rely on the use of certainportable storage devices such as a card reader.

[0005] However, the commonly known portable storage device, whether itis a built-in fixed-capacity flash memory element or an externalreplaceable-capacity module, when in actual use, the user must firsttake note of the total storage capacity of the flash memory element andits remaining free storable capacity and then proceed with the readingand writing of data. Generally, the user needs to first connect suchportable storage device with an operating system of a computer, or toconnect it with an operating system of other types of data read-writedevices such as a PDA; after following certain operating procedures,then the user knows of the aforementioned flash memory elements aboutits total memory capacity specification and the free storable capacity,thereby causing inconvenience and confusion in usage; particularly forthose users unfamiliar with operating a computer or operating systemsthe problems related to the data recognition and operating difficultieswill inevitably result in the programming and operations of reading,writing and accessing data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide aportable storage device with a storage capacity display comprising atleast one display and one display control circuit enabling instantbinding with a built-in or an external flash memory element of theportable storage device for reading and displaying the memory storagestatus of the flash memory.

[0007] Another objective of the present invention is to provide aportable storage device with a storage capacity display, wherein a powersupply circuit leads in and converts the power from a computer or aninterface circuit of a read/write device that is connected to theportable storage device to directly drive the display of the storagecapacity information in the flash memory element without going throughthe tedious operation of a computer operating system or the operatingsystem of a read/write device.

[0008] In order to achieve the abovementioned objectives, the presentinvention of a portable storage device with a storage capacity displaycomprises at least one display disposed in a proper position on theexterior perimeter of the portable storage device; furthermore, at leastone display control circuit disposed in the interior of the portablestorage device, such display control circuit is used to read the memorystorage information of a memory that is built-in or built-in or externalto a portable storage device and convert it into displayable informationto be read on the display.

[0009] To enable a further understanding of the detail structure and thepractical operation of the present invention, the brief description ofthe drawings below is followed by the detailed description of thepreferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a pictorial, exterior and structural drawing of thefirst exemplary implementation of the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the circuit of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 3 is the second exemplary implementation of the presentinvention.

[0013]FIG. 4 is the third exemplary implementation of the presentinvention.

[0014]FIG. 5-1 is a block diagram of another exemplary implementation ofthe power supply circuit of the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 5-2 is another exemplary implementation of the power supplycircuit of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016]FIGS. 1 and 2 show the first exemplary implementation of thepresent invention of a portable storage device with a storage capacitydisplay, wherein the type of portable storage device (100) may vary, andthe first implementation example of the present invention uses a devicethat has a flash memory (B) disposed inside; furthermore, it has aconnector (C) that connects with a computer or other types of read/writedevices (not shown) such as a PDA. The portable storage device (100)comprises at least one display (10) of different types disposed in aproper position on the exterior perimeter of the portable storage device(100); the first exemplary implementation as indicated in FIG. 1 uses aliquid crystal display (LCD) for depiction.

[0017] At least one display control circuit (20), as shown in FIG. 2, isdisposed in the interior of the portable storage device (100) to connectwith the abovementioned flash memory (B) for reading the storagecapacity information in the flash memory (B), including informationabout total memory storage capacity and usable free memory capacity andfor converting the memory storage capacity data into a relative displaydata to be displayed through the presentation in the display (10)allowing the user to receive the memory storage information about theflash memory (B5) in a glance.

[0018] At least one power supply circuit (30), as shown in FIG, isdisposed in the interior of the portable storage device (100); under thecondition wherein the connector (C) is connected to a computer or otherread/write devices, such power supply circuit (30) leads in and convertsthe power of an interface circuit of the connected computer or otherread/write devices so as to provide the operating power for the abovementioned display (10) and display control circuit (20) to display thememory storage information of the flash memory (B).

[0019]FIGS. 3 and 4 show the second and third exemplary implementationsof the portable storage device (100) of the present invention, wherein,as the second exemplary implementation shown in FIG. 3, the display(10′) is a seven-level display type of LED that in operation canaccomplish the same storage capacity display function as described inthe abovementioned first exemplary implementation.

[0020] The third exemplary implementation, as shown in FIG. 4, is theportable storage device (100) using an external flash memory (B),wherein one side of the storage device (100) is disposed with an insertslot (A) for the insertion of the external flash memory (B) card, suchas CF (Compact Flash) and SM (Smart Media) cards. The display (10) is ofthe staircase type of LED display and uses different number of lightedindicators to respectively depict the total memory capacity and the freestorage capacity; in actual operation, it can accomplish the samestorage capacity information display as that of the first and secondexemplary implementations.

[0021] Furthermore, FIGS. 5-1 and 5-2 show another exemplaryimplementation and a block circuit diagram of the power supply circuit(30) of the present invention, wherein the power supply circuit (30)comprises at lease one independent power element (31) of unlimitedtypes, such as a rechargeable battery or a direct current battery toallow the power supply circuit (30) to supply independent directoperating power currents to the display (10) and the display controlcircuit (20) so as to allow the display (10) and the display controlcircuit (20) to instantly display the storage capacity information ofthe flash memory (B) without having the connector (C) to be connectedwith a computer or other read/write devices.

[0022] In other words, without connecting to an operating system of acomputer or other read/write devices, the memory storage capacityinformation of the flash memory (B) can be instantly and convenientlydisplayed by using the design of the independent power element (3).

[0023] The spirit of the present invention aims to use the easiest andsimplest element structure to allow a portable storage device todirectly display, through a display device, the memory storage capacityinformation of a built-in or external flash memory via a display,without connecting the portable storage device to an operating system ofa computer or other types of read/write devices. This is an innovativestructure in the field of portable storage devices that allows the userto obtain memory storage capacity information in a most simple anddirect fashion.

[0024] The above illustrated the present invention of a portable storagedevice with a storage capacity display, wherein the revealedillustration, drawings and diagrams are means to clarify the technologycontent and the techniques used in the present invention. The revealedand preferred implementation examples are only an example and should notbe used to limit the scope thereof. Furthermore, all modifications orchanges to the structural details of the present invention, or thesubstitution or replacement of the elements with the equivalent effects,shall not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventiondefined by the patent application as follows.

1. A portable storage device with a storage capacity display comprising:at least one display disposed in a proper position on the exteriorperimeter of the portable device; at least one display control circuitdisposed in the interior portion of the portable storage device to binda flash memory connected with the portable storage device for readingthe internal storage capacity information of the flash memory andconverting the memory storage capacity information into displayable datato be displayed via the display.
 2. The portable storage device with astorage capacity display according to claim 1, wherein the portablestorage device is disposed with a power supply circuit for supplying theoperating power required by the display and the display control circuitto execute the display of the storage capacity.
 3. The portable storagedevice with a storage capacity display according to claim 2, wherein thepower supply circuit binds and converts the power from the interfacecircuit of a computer or other types of read/write devices connecting tothe portable storage device for supplying the operating power requiredto show the storage capacity information by the display and the displaycontrol circuit.
 4. The portable storage device with a storage capacitydisplay according to claim 2, wherein the power supply circuit isdisposed with an independent power source to supply the requiredoperating power to the display and the display control circuit forindependently displaying the memory capacity.
 5. The portable storagedevice with a storage capacity display according to claim 4, wherein theindependent power element of the power supply circuit is a rechargeableor a direct current battery.
 6. The portable storage device with astorage capacity display according to claim 1, wherein the display is aliquid crystal display (LCD).
 7. The portable storage device with astorage capacity display according to claim 1, wherein the display is aseven level LED display.
 8. A portable storage device with a storagecapacity display according to claim 1, wherein the display is astaircase LED display.